Ancient Egyptians Love of Music and Dance

The ancient Egyptian lifestyle afforded ample opportunity for leisurely pursuits. Music was a central aspect of the Egyptian lifestyle. Banquets and festivities were a common way to pass idle time. These gatherings tended to focus on sensual activity. Wine, beer and narcotics were often consumed at parties.

Music was a critical aspect of both Egyptian religion and its culture. It was believed that music pleased the gods and mortals alike and nearly any festival or banquet included musicians. The Three Female Musicians wall relief discovered at the Tomb of Nakht.C. is a single example among dozens of artifacts depicting how integral music was to ancient Egyptian society. Many depictions and artifacts exist including a number of instruments that have been preserved. However, we don't really know how they may have sounded as there is no written record of annotated music.

Paintings and Egyptian sculptures found in tombs suggest that the majority of the musicians were female. These female groups would frequently perform at banquets and festivities often accompanied by dancers. The ancient Egyptian band consisted of flutes, harps, lyres, drums and lutes. Egyptian statues usually depict the goddess of music, Hathor, holding a sistrum, a ritual instrument similar to a maraca. Worship at the temple of Hathor was frequently accompanied by the performance of female musicians.

Music was most often enjoyed at a banquet or festivity. In addition to the music, wine was enjoyed with enthusiasm. Beer was served at Egyptian festitvities and was often flavored with local fruits like the pomegranate. These banquets emphasized the exotic and erotic with special emphasis on pleasing the senses of taste and smell. To enhance the experience partygoers often combined narcotic flowers and in particular “the blue Lotus,” actually a lily which was believed to have narcotic properties when combined with alcohol.

To add to the enjoyment of the banquets, attendees were usually given a flower bud or blossom to smell during the entertainment. Sweet smelling fragrant ointments were placed in the wigs of banquet attendees to please the sense of smell.

The height of the evening was probably the performance of Egyptian dancers. During these banquets, men performed dancing with other men and women danced with other women. The dance of the ancient Egyptians varied greatly. Some performances focused on simple movement while others bordered on the gymnastic.

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